A heated exchange between JJ Redick and Luka Doncic during Saturday’s win over Golden State drew some attention on social media, but the Lakers coach dismissed it as something “very normal” that happens during the course of games, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
The incident occurred when Doncic was removed from the game and walked by Redick without responding to a fist bump. Redick followed Doncic to his seat, and they yelled at each other before Redick returned to his usual spot. Doncic stood up to scream at his coach some more before Jarred Vanderbilt intervened and calmed the situation.
“I didn’t think much of it at the time, to be honest with you,” Redick told reporters. “I don’t think Luka did either. He and I have a great relationship. I really value our relationship. And I think those things happen. Not every game, but they happen very frequently. And sometimes you have to rehash them with a player, or as a teammate. Sometimes it happens player to player. It’s a competition. And there’s two guys here who, in this case, are trying to win a basketball game and be on the same page about stuff.”
A Lakers source told McMenamin the exchange was the result of frustration over a recent three-game losing streak, while a source close to Doncic said he and Redick have a strong relationship but they’re “both fiercely competitive and are always pushing each other.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- The team is 11-6 in games where Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves have all been available, but that doesn’t mean they’re playing well together, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. L.A. has only outscored opponents by three total points in the 297 minutes they’ve all been on the court, and they’re producing 109.2 points per 100 possessions in lineups that feature all three players, which would rank 29th in the league. “The bigger challenge is when they’re all on the court together,” Redick said, “because they all want the basketball, and the reality … people have to sacrifice. The other two guys also have to sacrifice — they’re out there with those three guys. LeBron, his usage is low for his career. When Austin’s been out there, his usage is a little bit less than what it’s been throughout the season.”
- Re-signing Reaves will be a priority this summer, but the Lakers won’t get a bargain like they did the last time he hit free agency, SI’s Chris Mannix stated on the Run It Back podcast. “There’s gonna be a market for Austin Reaves, a big one this summer,” Mannix said. “The Lakers are gonna have to pay him.” Mannix indicates that L.A. is confident about keeping Reaves and is more concerned about finding high-level defenders to team with him and Doncic.
- Mannix adds that the Lakers want to use Doncic’s NBA Finals team in Dallas from 2024 as the blueprint for their future (Twitter video link). That could mean finding someone more qualified than Deandre Ayton to fill the Daniel Gafford/Dereck Lively II role, with Mannix suggesting that Gafford might be a possibility since he was mentioned in numerous trade rumors before the deadline. Ayton holds an $8.1MM player option for next season.
- The Lakers have appointed Michael Spetner as chief strategy and growth officer, making him the latest Dodgers official to join the organization, per Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link).
My James is so amazing.
Lakers have bet the Warriors, Kings and Pelicans.
Lakers are so good.
No one in today’s game gets hyped up more by the media after beating mediocre-to-bad teams than Your James, The Pickleman. But this HAD to be commonplace among ALL the all-time greats, not just Brawny James, right? NO?? Wait….wait a second….so what should we conclude from this?
Dude, why so obsessed? It’s kinda sad to he honest.
Poor pickle man and Dud. Together forever with the chosen one living rent free for eternity.
Chosen one?? Sounds like you’re worshipping the GOAT little toad.
You all good for tomorrow??
Sad.
Ayton is picking up that option and will be riding the bench.
Lakers need a perimeter defender.
Someone will pay Ayton $12M. Ayton is all wrong for a championship team, however, if he goes to a mediocre team where he can get featured more on offense he can thrive.
The problem is that the lakers don’t need a center for scoring. They need a defensive center, and Ayton is no Clint Capella.
Luka will never last in LA.
“The team is 11-6 in games where Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves have all been available, but that doesn’t mean they’re playing well together…”
What a misrepresentation of the situation. Let’s just forget the start of the season where Luka and AR were taking turns having 40 pt games. Let’s ignore the on/off statistics showing that when LeBum gets on the court with these guys, the team suffers as a whole. Even Windhorst addressed this. Yeah, sure, it’s the three of them who are the problem.
Lake Show cannot move forward until James and Jr are long gone. It’s been horrible since the day he arrived.
That 2020 banner hanging in the rafters would say otherwise.
But let me guess what you’re going to say. It was the bubble championship, so it doesn’t count. People want to discount that championship. Which really makes no sense. Players had to be more disciplined during that time period. Players had to sacrifice more.
The 2020 championship counts the exact same way as any other year.
People on this website really just need a villain. Someone to tear down. I’m not sure if it’s to make themselves feel better or what insecurity it is. But it’s pathetic.
LeBron James for all his flaws, will go down as one of the greatest players of all time.
This is a comments section so you’re free to say whatever you want. But ask yourself this, what is it you’ve accomplished in this life?
Did you make it to the NBA? How many MVPs have you won? Have you made a fortune? Built a family? Kept in peak physical shape your entire life, into your 40’s?
It sure is easy to criticize sitting behind a screen. I hope you’re as hard on yourself as you are on one of the greatest to ever play.